St Christopher's Hospice

Natalia Plant

Natalia Plant

Natalia Plant

My Story

Four years ago, I took my fiercely independent dad from his house to the hospital. He was never going to be able return to his beautiful second floor flat. 


After a long stay in hospital and being told that his bowel cancer was terminal, dad came to live with us in a newly built cabin at the end of our garden. The idea was that it would allow him some privacy and independence, while giving us the ability to care for him when he needed it. 

This is where St Christopher's came in. I had no clue what I needed to do and how to organise everything dad needed, starting with a specialised bed and other medical aids around the house and ending with consultants he needed to see. St Christopher's arranged everything. His consultant didn't just tick a box in seeing him. He stayed and chatted with dad, he also did everything he could to help him. 

By this point dad was in near constant pain. He couldn't sit up, was on astonishing quantities of morphine (100s mg a day). In fact he needed so much that the GP refused to prescribe it as they maintained it must be an error and they have never seen that. 

St Christopher's consultant referred dad for a rare procedure where a morphine pump was placed under the skin, with the idea that dad's pain would lessen and allow him some quality of life. 

Sadly although the pump helped for a bit, it wasn't the magic cure we hoped for. Dad was still in pretty much constant pain. St Christopher's were there for dad and my family whenever we needed them - and this was frequent. The nurses took our calls day and night and came out to help when required. They also arranged home help for dad with carers coming to help with his day to day care. 

Dad died at home with everyone he loved around him. Although the 6 months he spent with us were hard, so many wonderful memories were also made during this time. I will be forever grateful to St Christopher's for giving us the opportunity to have dad live out his life in dignity and at home, with his family around him. 

This is not a big charity. So please give generously so they can help other families like ours. I am honoured to represent them in the marathon and no amount of pain during the 26 miles will compare to the daily agony that dad suffered towards the end of his life. 

St Christopher's Hospice

Raising for:

St Christopher's Hospice
125%

Funded

  • Target
    £2,200
  • Raised so far
    £2,743
  • Number of donors
    54

My Story

Four years ago, I took my fiercely independent dad from his house to the hospital. He was never going to be able return to his beautiful second floor flat. 


After a long stay in hospital and being told that his bowel cancer was terminal, dad came to live with us in a newly built cabin at the end of our garden. The idea was that it would allow him some privacy and independence, while giving us the ability to care for him when he needed it. 

This is where St Christopher's came in. I had no clue what I needed to do and how to organise everything dad needed, starting with a specialised bed and other medical aids around the house and ending with consultants he needed to see. St Christopher's arranged everything. His consultant didn't just tick a box in seeing him. He stayed and chatted with dad, he also did everything he could to help him. 

By this point dad was in near constant pain. He couldn't sit up, was on astonishing quantities of morphine (100s mg a day). In fact he needed so much that the GP refused to prescribe it as they maintained it must be an error and they have never seen that. 

St Christopher's consultant referred dad for a rare procedure where a morphine pump was placed under the skin, with the idea that dad's pain would lessen and allow him some quality of life. 

Sadly although the pump helped for a bit, it wasn't the magic cure we hoped for. Dad was still in pretty much constant pain. St Christopher's were there for dad and my family whenever we needed them - and this was frequent. The nurses took our calls day and night and came out to help when required. They also arranged home help for dad with carers coming to help with his day to day care. 

Dad died at home with everyone he loved around him. Although the 6 months he spent with us were hard, so many wonderful memories were also made during this time. I will be forever grateful to St Christopher's for giving us the opportunity to have dad live out his life in dignity and at home, with his family around him. 

This is not a big charity. So please give generously so they can help other families like ours. I am honoured to represent them in the marathon and no amount of pain during the 26 miles will compare to the daily agony that dad suffered towards the end of his life.